Clinical Characteristics of Side Effects Induced by Administration of Glycyrrhizae Radix and Scutellaria Radix under the Therapy Based on Kampo Diagnosis in Our Hospital / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

We surveyed side effect incidences with Kampo therapies in 2530 patients based on their Kampo diagnoses. The number of side effects seen, including taste disorder, was 569 in 503 patients. Side effects were noted in 64 (3.0%) of 2139 patients administered Glycyrrhizae radix. The average 63.4±13.8 age of these patients was statistically higher than the overall 54.9±18.1 year mean. Symptoms which led to diagnosis of side effects were high blood pressure in 45 patients, edema in 16 patients, and hypokalemia in only 5 patients. Glycyrrhizae radix dose as an extract was 2.0±1.0 (mean±SD) g/day in 34 patients, and as a decoction was 2.2±1.1 g/day in 29 patients. There was no difference in administration or recovery periods between these two groups. Liver dysfunction was noted in 13 (1.0%) of 1328 patients administered prescriptions containing Scutellaria radix. Scutellaria radix was administered as an extract at 2.3±0.5 g/day in 7 patients, and as a decoction at 2.8±0.8 g/day in 6 patients. Although there was no difference in administration periods, the 69.0±52.5 day recovery period from side effects in the extract group was longer than that of 22.7±16.0 days in the decoction group. Symptom improvement was had for a large portion of these side effects with the first visit, indicating that initial diagnoses were correct. Care should be exercised with regard to inducing side effects, with Kampo medicines, even when using traditional diagnostic standards.